Capricorn Full Moon Musings: Oppression, Restriction & Responsibility
Today (Wednesday the 13th) is the Full Moon in Capricorn and in light of this, we’ve been reflecting on the sign, its ruling planet (Saturn) and the tarot card associated with it (The Devil).
What can those three aspects show us and how can we engage with them to get the most of this full moon?
First of all, we can approach this using themes that Capricorn (in relation to Saturn and The Devil) offers us. Things like restriction, lessons, karma, discipline, materiality and hard work. Capricorn doesn’t let us off the hook very easily. It’s an Earth sign and therefore speaks to the culmination of effort; ideas grounded on soil. When something makes it from thought to form, this implies it’s become a “solid”, known or material thing. We should not take this process for granted. Think of it like the seed that sprouts or the sperm that finds the egg. How many others came before it that did not take? How much had to go into that one germ making it all the way? All of this is wonderful when what we are dreaming up is in alignment with our best interest and the greatest good, but it’s not so helpful when we continually create (or reaffirm) ideas that harm ourselves or others. This is what makes systems/patterns (for good or bad) so difficult to break, whether it’s those in our personal lives, or the world at large.
A very real life issue that’s been on our mind, which touches on these themes, is that of disability in Ontario amidst the rapidly rising cost of living. The reality is that ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program) has never provided enough, but the gap is widening dramatically with gas prices, housing and food becoming unaffordable even for those on moderate incomes. Right now in Ontario, the most one can receive on ODSP is just under $1200 a month. Compare that to the average rental in Ontario which is, depending on where you live, $1600-$2200+ for a 1 bedroom. If you take a look at the report by rentals.ca, you can see for yourself how daunting things have become. This means that in order to even qualify for a rental in many Ontario cities, you need a salary of $70,000. And even if you can find “affordable” housing, you still haven’t factored in food, transportation or other daily living expenses. For a disabled person, who likely has additional needs, it’s unimaginable.
Right now, in this province, there are people who are in a position where they need to decide between eating and paying rent every month. There are people considering medical assistance in dying because their disability is being compounded by an impossible economic position. There are thousands who are homeless and thousands more who feel their voice is not heard and their lives do not matter.
And unfortunately, even if you have housing at this moment, you’re far from secure in this climate. Personally, I know of many instances where landlords have scared tenants into paying more rent, threatening to sell the property and have them removed if they do not comply. I know of landlords who have sold properties to new owners who then go on to evict former tenants and increase rent for new ones. There are many legal loopholes that enable those who want to take advantage of this situation, and very little recourse for those being harmed by it. This is moving the most vulnerable people into even more dire situations. The message being sent to countless Ontarians, and to the disabled community, is that money matters more than lives. Even though it is not much, we hope we can bring a little bit of awareness to a very human issue that is important to us. If you’re able to, please consider signing this petition, urging the government to increase support to ODSP recipients immediately.
Other links worth checking out:
What’s Wrong With ODSP?
Ontarians Push For ODSP Reform
ODSP Action Coalition
July is Disability Pride Month
SBSK (a channel and organization we love)
While this is obviously a social issue, we can also approach the themes it awakens and consider the following for our own lives: What isn’t working? Where are we turning a blind eye? Where have we let our responsibilities to ourselves and each other lapse? Remember, part of why The Devil is effective is because those it traps in its lair are basically unaware of their bondage. The Devil relies, in many ways, on us not noticing what is happening around us; not being aware of ourselves or our surroundings. It’s not to say we need to always be on guard and hypervigilant. It's not to say we are expected to catch everything, all of the time. We can only hold so much. We can only do so much. Saturn rules time and therefore, affirms that we all have limitations we need to honour. So, for today’s Full Moon, let’s reflect on how we want to use the time we do have; where we’ll place our efforts and resources, how we'll respond to challenges, and how we can become more effective and efficient in our roles, whatever they may be.
Want to dig deeper? Here are some prompts to consider…
What am I binding myself to and is this holding me back?
What is a limitation I believe cannot be overturned? How can I challenge this belief?
What are my current goals or what am I actively working toward?
What am I trying too hard to control or conversely, what is controlling me?
What needs to shift to move myself into alignment with where I am presently?
What have I been ignoring?
Ideas to contemplate…
Work hard, but also seek balance. Moving toward our goals doesn’t have to lead to burnout. We need both the quick busts of action as well as the rest and recuperation (Think: The Knight of Swords vs. The 4 of Swords. Neither state should be maintained long term).
Make decisions, but also be conscious and clear about those choices. What we decide today could lead to The Devil’s lair or The Lover’s garden tomorrow.
Accept all, but also be critical of who and what is let in close. That with which we continually allow into our sphere of influence, can take more and more of a hold. It is important that we are precise and adjust accordingly. Just because we were not in a position to make a better choice earlier on, doesn’t mean we cannot change course now. The Devil can make us believe we are trapped in circumstance, but it's important to see how illusory this may be. Be empowered to reassess circumstances. It’s a act of service to choose to work with people and causes that are truly in alignment with where you are and who you are, now.
Articles to read…
Challenging The Devil: Captor or Catalyst?
78 Connections (#62 combines The Devil & 4 of Pentacles, #52 The Devil & The Lovers, #29 The Devil & The Moon, #24 The Devil & 5 of Pentacles)
Wishing you all an illuminating Full Moon,
Julia & Tim